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Star City man dies following Sunday shooting

By John Whipple

LINCOLN COUNTY CORRESPONDENT

STAR CITY — John Daryl Finley, 43, of Star City, died Tuesday at Jefferson Regional Medical Center after being shot Sunday. David Nathan Yarberry, 43, of Star City, has been arrested in connection with Finley’s death.

Finley was struck in the head one time with a small caliber bullet, authorities said.

Few details were released about the incident which led to the shooting, however authorities said some kind of altercation occurred at a residence, 2538 State Highway 114 West, prior to the shooting.

Meanwhile, Lincoln County Chief Deputy David Parker said police arrested Yarberry on preliminary charges of first-degree battery and possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, both felonies, and resisting arrest, a misdemeanor. Tuesday, Parker said the preliminary charges had been upgraded to first-degree murder.

Lincoln County District Court Judge Vic Harper on Monday found probable cause existed to formally charge Yarberry and ordered him held in the Lincoln County jail in lieu of a $75,000 bond. Following Finley’s death, Yarberry has been ordered held without bond until another hearing can be held.

A report by Deputy Bo Hudson said he was dispatched to the residence about 6:30 p.m. Sunday and advised a female caller said something about “Nathan” and that the suspect left walking down the highway.

On the way to the residence, Hudson saw two females talking to a man leaning against a car stopped in the highway. Hudson stopped and asked what was going on. The females said the man, later identified as Yarberry, had been lying in the road when they came upon him. Hudson approached Yarberry and noticed that he was barefooted and that there was blood on his left foot.

“I ordered Yarberry to the ground believing he was the suspect in the reported shooting,” said Hudson in his report. “Yarberry complied, but slowly and only after I repeated the commands. I placed the handcuff to this left wrist and Yarberry immediately started to resist.”

State Trooper Byron Calhoun then arrived to assist Hudson but Yarberry continued to resist arrest. After Hudson used a Taser several times, Yarberry still refused to comply and ran, Hudson’s report said.

Both officers chased Yarberry through a ditch and Calhoun and Yarberry began fighting.

Calhoun then handcuffed Yarberry as Hudson called for an ambulance for the suspect.

“At the time of the arrest, Yarberry’s demeanor and actions made him appear that he was under the control of an unknown substance,” Hudson said.

Hudson searched Yarberry and found an unlabled prescription pill bottle containing two pieces of plastic straw, several small plastic bags believed to contained methamphetamine and severe unidentified pills.